Busch repels Harvick charge

Kyle Busch is starting to wonder why he even spends time trying to qualify well at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.

Five months after winning the spring race on the 0.75mile oval from the 32nd starting spot, Busch did even better Saturday night in the second race of the NASCAR playoffs, winning from 39th place.

“Yeah, I’m not going to qualify here anymore,” he said after his 50th career victory, sixth at Richmond and first in the fall. “It’s a waste of time for us.”

Besides, once the green flag flies, his fortunes change.

“I don’t know why. I just cannot qualify here, but we’ve got a really good race car when it comes down time to have a race and especially the later it gets,” he said.

Busch, sent to the rear of the field at the start because of unauthorized adjustments to his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, passed Brad Keselowski with 38 laps to go and then held off Kevin Harvick.

“To start dead last, come up through the field and win this thing? That’s right Rowdy Nation. All for you, baby,” Busch said after climbing from his car. “I finally won a fall race here at Richmond.”

Harvick closed a gap of more than 1.5 seconds over the final few laps, but was not able to keep Busch from tying him with a season-best seven wins.

Martin Truex Jr., who swept the first two stages before a penalty forced him to play catchup, rallied for third, followed by Chase Elliott and Aric Almirola.

“The problem is when you get back there, to pass those guys, you’ve got to really use up your tires,” Truex said. “We needed more cautions so we could pit for tires.”

It was the first time all season that the three drivers who have dominated all season claimed the top three spots in a race.

Busch and Keselowski have clinched spots in the next round of the playoff by winning the first two postseason races, and Truex joined them on points by winning the first two stages.

Newman to Roush: Ryan Newman will drive full-time for Roush-Fenway Racing in the No. 6 Ford next season in NASCAR’s Cup Series. The team announced the move a few hours before the second race of the playoffs. Newman has driven the No. 31 for Richard Childress Racing since 2014, but did not make the playoffs as one of the top 16 teams for the second time in three years. He announced earlier this year he would leave the team at the end of the season.

Robert Laberge / Getty Images Kyle Busch celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, where he has won six times in his career.